Compared to injecting, there is very much lower risk of overdose when smoking heroin- users have better control over their intake and can feel the effects of the drug very rapidly, regulating or stopping intake as necessary. Sweeting A (9 July 2004). "I died. I do remember that". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016.

Short-term addiction studies by the same researchers demonstrated that tolerance developed at a similar rate to both heroin and morphine. When compared to the opioids hydromorphone, fentanyl, oxycodone, and pethidine (meperidine), former addicts showed a strong preference for heroin and morphine, suggesting that heroin and morphine are particularly susceptible to misuse and causing dependence. Morphine and heroin were also much more likely to produce euphoria and other positive subjective effects when compared to these other opioids. [26] Medical uses As with the injection of any drug, if a group of users share a common needle without sterilization procedures, blood-borne diseases, such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, can be transmitted.The head of Bayer's research department reputedly coined the drug's new name of "heroin", based on the German heroisch which means "heroic, strong" (from the ancient Greek word "heros, ήρως"). Bayer scientists were not the first to make heroin, but their scientists discovered ways to make it, and Bayer led the commercialization of heroin. [90] In the United Kingdom, diamorphine is available by prescription, though it is a restricted Class A drug. According to the 50th edition of the British National Formulary (BNF), diamorphine hydrochloride may be used in the treatment of acute pain, myocardial infarction, acute pulmonary oedema, and chronic pain. The treatment of chronic non- malignant pain must be supervised by a specialist. The BNF notes that all opioid analgesics cause dependence and tolerance but that this is "no deterrent in the control of pain in terminal illness". When used in the palliative care of cancer patients, diamorphine is often injected using a syringe driver. [111]

A range of treatments including medicines and behavioral therapies are effective in helping people stop heroin use. However, treatment plans should be individualized to meet the needs of the patient. However, Danish addicts would only be able to inject heroin according to the policy set by Danish National Board of Health. [44] Of the estimated 1500 drug users who did not benefit from the then-current oral substitution treatment, approximately 900 would not be in the target group for treatment with injectable diamorphine, either because of "massive multiple drug abuse of non-opioids" or "not wanting treatment with injectable diamorphine". [45] [ needs update] Your daily dose of methadone or buprenorphine will be supervised by a drugs worker or pharmacist for at least the first 3 months. Edwards J (17 November 2011). "Yes, Bayer Promoted Heroin for Children – Here Are The Ads That Prove It". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Klous MG, Van den Brink W, Van Ree JM, Beijnen JH (December 2005). "Development of pharmaceutical heroin preparations for medical co-prescription to opioid dependent patients". Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 80 (3): 283–95. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.04.008. PMID 15916865.Howard G (18 September 2009). "Death of a Poet: Saying goodbye to Jim Carroll". Slate. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 . Retrieved 2 January 2014. Moore D (24 August 2014). "Heroin: A brief history of unintended consequences". Times Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Wright's invention did not lead to any further developments, and diamorphine became popular only after it was independently re-synthesized 23 years later by chemist Felix Hoffmann. [88] Hoffmann was working at Bayer pharmaceutical company in Elberfeld, Germany, and his supervisor Heinrich Dreser instructed him to acetylate morphine with the objective of producing codeine, a constituent of the opium poppy that is pharmacologically similar to morphine but less potent and less addictive. Instead, the experiment produced an acetylated form of morphine one and a half to two times more potent than morphine itself. Hoffmann synthesized heroin on August 21, 1897, just eleven days after he had synthesized aspirin. [89]

Adverse effects A 2010 study ranking various illegal and legal drugs based on statements by drug-harm experts. Heroin was found to be the second overall most dangerous drug. [58] In Switzerland, heroin is produced in injectable or tablet form under the name Diaphin by a private company under contract to the Swiss government. [112] Swiss-produced heroin has been imported into Canada with government approval. [113] Australia a b "Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP): Heroin Facts & Figures". Whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011 . Retrieved 20 July 2012.Poisons Standard October 2015 "Poisons Standard October 2015". Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016 . Retrieved 6 January 2016.

Intravenous use of heroin (and any other substance) with needles and syringes or other related equipment may lead to: Injection, also known as "slamming", "banging", "shooting up", "digging" or "mainlining", is a popular method which carries relatively greater risks than other methods of administration. Heroin base (commonly found in Europe), when prepared for injection, will only dissolve in water when mixed with an acid (most commonly citric acid powder or lemon juice) and heated. Heroin in the east-coast United States is most commonly found in the hydrochloride salt form, requiring just water (and no heat) to dissolve. [ citation needed] Users tend to initially inject in the easily accessible arm veins, but as these veins collapse over time, users resort to more dangerous areas of the body, such as the femoral vein in the groin. Some medical professionals have expressed concern over this route of administration, as they suspect that it can lead to deep vein thrombosis. [54] Philip Anselmo Opens Up About His Heroin Addiction, Pantera's Breakup". Blabbermouth.net. 19 August 2009. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020 . Retrieved 12 October 2013. Histamine release by morphine and diamorphine in man". Archived from the original on 12 August 2010.There are medicines being developed to help with the withdrawal process. The FDA approved lofexidine, a non-opioid medicine designed to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Government of Colombia (July 2015). "Coca cultivation survey" (PDF). Report. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). p.67. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 April 2016 . Retrieved 28 May 2016. In the US, the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was passed in 1914 to control the sale and distribution of diacetylmorphine and other opioids, which allowed the drug to be prescribed and sold for medical purposes. In 1924, the United States Congress banned its sale, importation, or manufacture. It is now a Schedule I substance, which makes it illegal for non-medical use in signatory nations of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs treaty, including the United States. Opioid Data Analysis | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center". www.cdc.gov. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018 . Retrieved 28 November 2017.